To what are we devoted: spirit or ego?

Again,–nothing you do or think or wish or make is necessary to establish your worth. This point is not debatable except in delusions. Your ego is never at stake because God did not create it. Your spirit is never at stake because He did. Any confusion on this point is delusional, and no form of devotion is possible as long as this delusion lasts. T- 4.I.7:6-10

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

This passage in A Course In Miracles is very similar to the statement in the Introduction which is “Nothing real can be threatened. Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God.” This statement captures the key teaching of the metaphysics of A Course In Miracles.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step three, that we make a decision to turn our willfulness over to the will of God. In doing so we experience an abiding peace, and the struggle to maintain the delusion about the reality of our ego is eliminated.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person which abides in their spirit not in their ego.

Today, it is asked to what we are devoted: the spirit or the ego? It is an easy decision once we become aware that we have a choice.

From where does your inherent worth and dignity come?

Your worth is not established by teaching or learning. Your worth is established by God. T-4.1.7:1-2

How often is it said with contempt and disdain, “You’re so stupid”? The target of such comments often reacts with defensiveness, anger, shame, and then a loss of self esteem and self worth. We have forgotten that our worth is not based on knowledge or ignorance. Our worth and dignity is inherent based on our Transcendent Source.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step eleven, that we improve our conscious contact with God through prayer and mediation. This has nothing to do with earthly knowledge. This is more a matter of the heart rather than the head.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person which is one of the primary seven principles which is the basis of the UU faith.

Today, it is suggested that we bypass knowledge and rest in the abiding peace of the Oneness which resides deep in our heart.

Help others to become their best selves as you do your Self.

Every good teacher hopes to give his students so much of his own learning that they will one day no longer need him. This is the one true goal of the teacher. It is impossible to convince the ego of this, because it goes against all of its own laws. But remember that laws are set up to protect the continuity of the system in which the lawmaker believes. It is natural for the ego to try to protect itself once you have made it, but it is not natural for you to want to obey its laws unless you believe them. The ego cannot make this choice because of the nature of its origin. You can, because of the nature of yours. T-4.I.5:1-7 

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The good teacher wants to empower their students so that they no longer need them to teach but can join them as One.

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step twelve, that the spiritual awakening of the program be shared with others so that they, too, can become spiritually awakened if they choose to do so.

In Unitarian Universalism people join together to affirm and promote the acceptance and encouragement of one another to spiritual growth. They do this by studying and applying the principles which are the basis of the covenant with one another.

Today, it is suggested that we take steps to empower others to become their best selves as we do for ourselves.

Why do we teach?

Egos can clash in any situation, but spirit cannot clash at all. If you perceive a teacher as merely “a larger ego” you will be afraid, because to enlarge an ego would be to increase anxiety about separation. I will teach with you and live with you if you will think with me, but my goal will always be to absolve you finally from the need for a teacher. This is the opposite of the ego-oriented teacher’s goal. He is concerned with the effect of his ego on other egos, and therefore interprets their interaction as a means of ego preservation. T-4.I.6: 1-5

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

Does teaching enhance the ego or is it an effort to join with people so that all can become one?

In Alcoholics Anonymous it is suggested, in step twelve, that AA members, having had a spiritual awakening carry the message of this spiritual awakening to others.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.

Today, it is suggested that we share our experience with others in the hope of joining with them in the move forward on the path to enlightenment.

Augustine is joyful that we humans are an extension of God’s unconditional love.

And so we humans, who are a due part of your creation, long to praise you—we who carry our mortality about with us, carry the evidence of our sin and with it the proof that you thwart the proud.

Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. The Confessions (The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century) (p. 49). New City Press. Kindle Edition. 

Had I read The Confessions before I studied A Course In Miracles I don’t believe I would have understood the first section of book one which is a meditation on the nature of homo sapiens relationship with their Transcendent Source. What Augustine seems to be saying in the passage above is that homo sapiens is an extension of God’s unconditional love. However, we separated ourselves from God’s Oneness with our incarnation which the Course calls a “tiny mad idea.” We could never separate ourselves from the unconditional love of God but our ego fears this awareness because it would mean its end. 

Further, the Course teaches that God does not “thwart the proud” but rather patiently waits for us to make another choice about whether we want to abide in the world of the ego or the world of Spirit in God.

This choice for the ego will eventually be understood as a mistake which Augustine calls “sin.” Sin does not lead to damnation but rather to the opportunity to choose again as it merely is mistaken.

Augustine expresses his yearning to be one again with God and expresses great appreciation and joy at this realization. Augustine testifies to the holy moments when he has abided in the Unconditional love of God and wishes this further for himself and others.

Reading Augustine’s gushing about the majesty, wonder, and awe of God seems a bit over the top, but then the reader is probably not at the level of consciousness of Augustine and so has no reference for the experience Augustine is describing. Perhaps for now it is good to know that this kind of communion is possible. This knowledge gives us hope and peacefulness.

Our mission is to find our way back to God.

Teaching and learning are your greatest strengths now, because they enable you to change your mind and help others to change theirs. Refusing to change your mind will not prove that the separation has not occurred. The dreamer who doubts the reality of his dream while he is still dreaming is not really healing his split mind. You dream of a separated ego and believe in a world that rests upon it. This is very real to you. You cannot undo it by not changing your mind about it. If you are willing to renounce the role of guardian of your thought system and open it to me, I will correct it very gently and lead you back to God. T-4.I.4:1-7

A Course in Miracles . Foundation for Inner Peace. Kindle Edition. 

The passage above can be read with a sense of humor. Jesus is pointing out the incongruity and absurdity of holding a belief in the world of the ego when none of it is real and ignoring the Truth which is the Oneness from which we have separated ourselves. Silly us to indulge our split mind. Jesus tells us that when we are ready to heal our split mind, His teaching and example can help to lead us back to our Transcendent Source.

In Alcoholics Anonymous, as we work the steps, we realize that our split mind is unmanageable and decide to turn our willfulness over to the will of God. Sometimes this is called surrender but perhaps a better word is acceptance of reality.

In Unitarian Universalism we join together to affirm and promote a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. This search is movement back to God and a healing of the separation.

Today, it is suggested that we consider from whence we have come and to which we are going. To what extent is the world of the ego a huge distraction from our authentic mission?

Augustine’s dawning and search as described in his book, The Confessions.

Rediscover The Saints by Matthew Kelly begins with  a chapter on Saint Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s book, Confessions, is a foundational text on the spiritual life from a Christian viewpoint. The Confessions is an autobiography written around 400 CE which describes how Augustine turned his life around. Augustine realized that he was not satisfied with the direction the world was moving in and what he was doing with his life. Augustine experienced what is called “ a dawning” that there is a better way to live life and this dawning precipitated a search for that without which he was restless and in which he sought peace.

This post begins a series of posts on the Confessions of St. Augustine.